EAST Adjunct Faculty: Ps Daniel Chua Re-tires

 

Recently, Ps Daniel Chua, an EAST Adjunct Faculty who has been our Staff Retreat Speaker and taught classes like Pastoral Leadership and Exposition of Ruth announced that he will be retiring as the Pastor-at-large of Mount Carmel Bible Presbyterian Church which he has been shepherding for the past 33 years by the end of this October. EAST News caught up with him recently as he “re-tires” (which he refers to in this next phase of his life and ministry).

Ps Daniel has been married to Phoebe for 37 years, and together they have three adult children who are all married (eldest son Timothy & daughter-in-law Melanie, daughter Evelyn and son-in-law Melvin, and youngest son John Calvin and daughter-in-law Lynette) and five grandchildren. When the Singapore-Johor border re-opens, he and his wife will reside in Johor Bahru where his two grandchildren live but will nonetheless still make regular visits to Singapore.

When asked about the distinctives of East Asia School of Theology (EAST) according to his wide knowledge of the seminaries in Singapore, EAST attracts those who wants to be equipped theologically but also desire to help fulfil the Great Commission in their life and ministry whether in the marketplace or in full-time vocational capacity. EAST is in a very strategic place for God’s mission to be fulfilled as increasingly, it is getting more difficult for missionaries to enter directly into certain countries. As EAST trains up and equips Christ-like leaders for the Great Commission, these leaders who are native to their own countries can return and make an impact.

Regards to the impact that Covid-19 has brought about to church and society in general, Ps Daniel responded that Covid really has been a game changer.  There has been a lot of new things to learn and respond to. The church staff generally has to work harder, to be in touch with the congregation more often. He also mentioned two things Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon said that we must never lose, regardless of whether we are living in Covid-19 times or not – firstly, a sense of holiness of God, and secondly, in-person community.

Ps Daniel explained that when we moved into technology, it is easy to lose the holiness of God. One tends to have a certain decorum in person in church when worshipping in the sanctuary. In the home, one can be interrupted by so many things even in an hour of worship. He also highlighted that church is made up of in-person community, and the digital community can supplement but should not supersede the in-person community. It is however likely that post-Covid, churches in Singapore will see a shrinkage in physical attendance due to the past 18 months of churches being online. However, there is much possibility for digital strategy and outreach still. He gave the example of how a mission training held online to a pastor in Cambodia had a multiplying effect when the pastor invited other Christian workers along for the training via online.

In that vein of training and equipping, despite Ps Daniel’s retirement as a Pastor-at-large from Mount Carmel BP Church by the end of the month, he is just taking a short break and venturing into yet another ministry with Ambassadors for Christ, Singapore (AFCS) come January 2022. He will be the mission partner with AFCS and chairperson for Equip-21, an 8 modules program, that seeks to equip great commission leaders for the 21st century.

Prayer Requests

1. Thanksgiving to God for seeing me through 33 years in Carmel and beyond. The Lord has been so good, and I have grown in my own journey as a pastor over these years, but also know there is more to learn!
2. I am looking forward to some time of rest, reflection, and recharging in Nov – Dec before starting my next chapter as mission partner of AFCS in Jan 2022, based in JB. Pray for quality family time.
3. My next chapter is a venture of faith that requires personal travel to mission countries, plus use of technology which is a steep learning curve for me. Pray that borders will reopen soon for travel to mission countries, and for protection against COVID when we eventually travel.